It’s always an intense battle for survival, Darwin is at work long after he has passed on. I, the Guava tree am a mute witness to everything that happens in this neck of the woods, I have been witness to an attempt to murder, theft and outright selfishness and this is my story.
It all started as I made my way out of the ground 4 years ago, there was a lot of expectation from me. They gave me water and gave me sunlight, little did I know that time that I would be robbed of everything as I grew older, I was in a happy little place with a Sir Jackfruit- The Indignant and always colorful and noble Mrs. Shoe-flower. I took my time growing up and these homans were growing impatient with me, they apparently wanted something out of me. I couldn’t really understand why they couldn’t just provide me with water and expect nothing – Sir Jackfuit The Indignant has still not yielded to the scornful looks and sarcastic comments of those homans!
It wasn’t just the homans, Pattertwig – the warrior squirrel would always jump on my branches in search of something. I didn’t always like him, he would wake me up at odd hours, beauty naps are a necessity according to Mrs. Shoe- flower. And then I met the pretty Ms. Parseltongue, she was young and she wanted a home and told me she would keep Mr. Pattertwig away. I provided sanctuary to Ms. Parseltongue for sometime, until one morning she was fighting with the warrior Pattertwig on the walls, Pattertwig was fighting bravely but Parseltongue had grown strong and had a venomous smile as she charged at Parseltongue. Would this be his last battle, I wondered? Just as Parseltongue was gaining on Pattertwig a homan screamed, they had spotted Parseltongue and for some reason they didn’t like her. Mrs. Parseltongue was terrified now of the homans, she tried to jump of the wall and asked me for protection, I tried to hold on but she slipped from grip and fell onto the floor where the homans were waiting for her.
Ms. Parseltongue was very fast, she got away but has been too scared of the homans to come back. The homans seemed upset with me, one summer morning, there was a fire and everything around me was on fire! I strongly suspect Mr. Patttertwig for it, maybe he was trying to get even with me. They were still upset that I didn’t have something called fruits 3 years after I crawled out of the ground. Life was very lonely, until the Red Whisker family arrived at my tree, they had traveled far and wide and told me stories of how to bear fruits. I let them set up their home and they gave birth to two cute children.
But then, the moment they were born. This homan started climbing my branches trying to get a better look at the hatch lings with some strange thing in his hand. Mama Whisker would have none of it and chased this homan off while Papa Whisker chased the inquisitive human right back home.
The Whiskers stayed on and told me how to brew fruit, the homans were happy and I was happy too! There were flowers and there was life all around me again but then Mr. Pattertwig was back to exact his revenge, he would scar all the fruits and the homans weren’t very happy with this. The homan brought a stick and and blade and would cut my leaves and branches trying to pry the fruits from my branches. Mr. Pattertwig was evil but he was also brave after all he had survived many wars. He would come everyday and feast on me!
I was in despair and the Whiskers told me that they could help by chasing away Mr. Pettertwig, I was worried, the last time someone offered to do it they were chased away. I asked the Whiskers to get more of their friends to make sure they would actually fight Mr. Pettertwig. And so, they feasted on me
The Whiskers sent Mr. Pettertwig out and started feasting on what he left over
The Whites demanded I bear more fruit for their whole family, the whiskers were no more to be found since the Whites took over and chased every other bird away! Mr. Koel would sing in the distance once in a way but wouldn’t come close anymore. But just before dawn Mr. Pattertwig would scurry over me and eat my skin, he wasn’t interested in the seeds and the Whites were only stuff on the floor! Mr. Pattertwig had called on his friends to fight of the Whiskers and he was back to feasting on me!
I did all I could and gave them more fruits than I every did but between the homans and Mr. Pattertwig, they still wanted more. Looking at my plight, Sir Jackfruit decided to bear some fruit too, after all he been my true friend through all these years! I can always provide what is needed, but not for the greed I see all around. But I fight this valiantly and hope to find another friend who bring peace to this place again!
There are a few friends, I see on the horizon
So maybe there is hope left, maybe I will be among friends again! Now if there is only a way to deal with his homans, Sir Jackfruit says he knows and way of distracting them! We live in hope!
P.S:If you have actually read it all the way to till here, there are two things you need to know that the quarantine is probably getting to you, or you are no longer 10 years old!
P.P.S: Thank you for reading, these were the garbled thoughts of a person stared at a Guava tree for a few days now! The things we do during a quarantine!
Musings of a wanderer 